Treatment of filaments, films, and textile fabrics



; Reference Patented Jan. 12, 1 937 TREATMENT OF FILAMENTS, Ennis, AND

, TEXTILE FABRICS William Whitehead, Cumberland, Md., assig'nor to Celanese Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. pplication November 2, 1933,

Serial No. 696,381 a 7 Claims.

{This invention relates to the treatment of filaments, threads, yarns, tapes, straws, ribbons, bristles and like-textile materials, (hereafter referred to as yarns), films, slabs, sheets and other fiat, cast or rolled surfaces (hereafter referred to as films"-) and textile fabrics woven,

netted, knitted, braided, knotted or otherwise formed fromyarns.

The principal object of the invention is to render yarns, films and textile fabrics more amenable to textile operations, as by rendering them free from the trouble occasioned by electrification. Another object of the invention is to render yarns, films and textile fabrics more pliant, more soft andbetter able'to withstand the stresses endescription.

countered in many textile operations and in use as wearing apparel. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed I have found that if thealkylol amine salts of hydroxy carboxylic acids are applied to or inco'rporated in artificial materials, many advantageous results are obtained.

The treatment of yarns according to this in vention produces yarns which will not take a charge of electricity upon friction with like yarns, yarns of other materials, glass rods, metal rods etc., as the yarns become conductors of electricity and the electric charge is carried off as soon as it is formed. Once the yarns have been treated this property of conducting electricity is not reduced upon ageing but is carried through the processing to the finished fabrics.

The yarns, films and fabrics treated accordin to this invention have no corrosiveaction on metal and metal alloys with which they contact or upon which they may 'rest for days in the processing steps. The treating material contains no free chlorine and is neutral inaction. Furthermore, the yarns and films are not tacky nor gummy and they, therefore pass through all the guide means without difficulty or without build ing up a ridge or drop of the treating material about the guides.

Yarns treated for anti-static properties according to this invention that are formed into staple fibers by cutting etc., need not be retreated to remove theanti-static finish after cutting to prevent trouble by rusting or corrosion of card machines and further packing and snarling up of the staple so that it would be difiicult to open and card. Also the property of not taking an electric charge is of advantage in the carding,

drawing, and other subsequent processes.

(01. 28-1) Yarns so treated may be warp knitted without any static charge being generated and the yarn may be allowedto stand on the machine over the week end or other periods of time without rusting or cor'roding the metals of the machine.

Fabrics treated according to this invention or made from yarns so treated are also conductors of electricity and do not retain a charge of static electricity. A great source of annoyance caused by static electricity is found in women's wearin apparel. For example, when a fabric of artificial silk or a fabric containing derivatives of cellulose and/or regenerated cellulose is usedas an outer garment over silk' or wool under garments theoutergarment, if untreated, takes on a static charge which .causes the outer garment to tend to adhere or cling to the wearer's body destroying the lines and design of the garment.

Fabric treated according to this invention is free from static electricity and does not tend to adhere to the wearers, body but hangs free. The

fabricso treated is not off-odor nor tacky and retains-its electrical conducting properties re gardless of its age.

Another source of annoyance in fabrics which are non conductors'for electricity is that they, after becoming charged, attract dust particles, both vegetable and metallic. Brushing toremove such particle merely increases the electric charge and the particles appear to cling to the fabric with even more tenacity. Fabrics treated ac; cording'to this invention allowthe static charge of electricity to leak out as fast as it is formed and the fabric thereforedoes not-attract dust particles and, further, any dust particles thereon may be easily removed by brushing or s a in as there is no electrical force attracting them thereto and there is no moist or tacky substance tending to hold them cemented to the fabric.

The treating material here described has a special applicability to films and foils as the material 'is not absorbed into the body of the films to any great extent but remains-on or near the surface. Films therefore are not discolored or made cloudy. Furthermore the static charge of electricity is a surface charge and conducting material not on the surface does not allow for the fast discharge of developed charges.

In accordance with my invention, then, I treat or incorporate in yarns, films, foils and fabrics with a small amount of an alkylolamine salt of a hydroxy carboxylic acid with or without lubricating materials.

The yarns, films and fabrics to be treated may be made from regenerated cellulose, inorganic de- Search Room rivatives of cellulose with plasticizers, wool, cotton, silk, fiax, or other fibers. This invention is,

' however, most applicable to yarns, films, foils,

, used with the organic derivatives of cellulose.

The most common of the organic derivatives of cellulose are the esters and ethersof cellulose. Examples of organic esters of cellulose are cellulose acetate, cellulose formate, cellulose propio-.

nate and cellulose butyrate, while examples oforgam'c ethers of cellulose are ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose and butyl cellulose.

The-yarns and films, of derivatives of cellulose may contain incorporated as a part thereof or as coating thereon, effect materials such as pigments, filling materials, dyes or lakes, fire retardants, plasticizers, sizes and lubricants. Ex-

. amples of fire retardants are beta chlomaph adding the effect materials to the filaments and thalene, triphenyl phosphate and tricresyl phosphate. Examples of plasticizers are. glycol and glycerol oleates, stearates, etc. and triethanolamine oleates and stearates. Examples of lubricants are mineral oil, olive oil and neats-foot oil. Examples of filling materials are powdered metal, oxides of metal or fibres of other materials. Examples of sizes are wax, gelatins, starches, gums, salts of resin acids and glycerides. These effect materials may be incorporated as a part of the filaments or films by adding them to the spinning solution'from which the filaments or films are formed or by softening or swelling the formed filaments or films with a swelling agent, such as thiocyanates of ammonia, sodium, potassium and calcium and ethyl ether of ethylene glyco1,-and

films while they are in the swollencondition.

Under the term yarns are included threads, assemblies or bundles of a number of continuous filaments which may be in parallel relationship or which may be twisted together, artificial bristles, straws, short lengths of staple fibres, or yarn spun from such staple fibres.

.While the alkylol amine salts of a hydroxy carboxylic acid are preferably applied to the yarns, filaments, foils, films and the like after their formation, they may be incorporated in the solution of the derivative of cellulose from which suchartificial products are formed. The fabrics to be treated may be formed of a single type of yarn, say one formed by twisting together fine filaments of an organic derivative of cellulose, or the fabric may be formed of a plurality of types of yarn, as a warp of silk and weft of a cellulose acetate. The fabrics may be coated, after treatment according to this invention, with coating materials such as rubber, latex, resins, lacquers, etc. for making rain coats etc. The

anti-static finish does not interfere with the chemical make-up of such coating and furthermore it is not an impervious coating which would allow any future coating applied to the fabric to peel off.

The yarn, films or fabric are rendered completely effective in anti-static properties by the application of by weight, of the treated material, of an alkylolamine salt of an hydroxy carboxylic acid. When it is desired to treat yarn and carry the effect into the fabric a slightly larger percent say 2% will be found suificient. Even as small as 0.1% of alkylolamine hydroxy car- 3 boxylic acid may be used if it is to be applied to the yarn, films, foils or filaments along with a lubricant such as olive oil, blown olive oil, sulphonated'castor oil, light mineral oils, rape seed oil and animal oils or glycol and glycerol or their oleates and stearates.

For example a mixture of alkylolamine salt of a hydroxy carboxylic acid and 90% blown olive oil or diethylene glycol may be applied to yarn, at the spinning cabinet of artificial yarns, by means of wicks or rollers such that there is applied to the yarn 2% of the mixture based onthe weight of yarn.

Either blown olive oil or sulphonated castor oil are exceptionally well adapted to be applied with theanti-static material as both are similar to the anti-static material in that they do not discolor or give off off-odors upon ageing. By employing a coating of blown-oil and an alkylolamine salt of a hydroxy carboxylic acid old or aged yarn may be made pliable, anti-static and sufiiciently lubricated to stand circular knitting which was heretofore extremely difiicult. Such a mixture of lubricants and anti-static material permits the application thereof to yarn at the warping machine without the usual annoyance of warp streaks, and also at the spinning cabinet without theusual annoyance of allowing uneven stretching of the filaments because of uneven wetting.

In treating fabrics made from yarn without the anti-static material it is preferable to apply about 0.5% of the anti-static material, after dye- A further advantageof the treated yarns, and:

particularly continuous filament yarns, is that a separate application of lubricants maybe rendered unnecessary in many textile operations, for example in the operation of winding or twisting and winding artificial yarns continuously with their production. The anti-static and lubricant may be applied simultaneously if desired or necessary, however, as stated above, a lubricant may also be applied to the yarn either in the same liquid as the one in which the anti-static material is applied or separately, the lubricant acting externally of the yarn to facilitate flexing, and en-,

ables it to withstandhard treatment, such as encountered in fine gauge knitting.

The anti-static material may be applied from solutions or suspensions in liquids which are hygroscopic, for example, ethylene glycol, glycerol, etc.- In order, however, to prevent change in volume, viscosity and concentration of such liquids during use, it is preferred to add a quantity of water substantially equal to the maximum amount which the liquids tend to absorb in the atmosphere. Thus ethylene glycol may receive added water to the extent of 13% its original weight, glycerol 33% and diethylene glycol up to 30%. The hygroscopic material may be dissolved in water before mixtures of them are formed. Although the anti-static materials forming a part of this invention are somewhat hygroscopic in themselves, they do not rely entirely upon this IUD- UUIVHUDHIUND,

COATING OR PLASTIC tion by means of wicks or pads dipping in a solution or suspension of the anti-static material.

Or it may be supplied by means of a drip tube or furnishing rollers supplied with a solution or suspension of the anti-static material. What- .ever the means employed to apply the liquid, it

is preferable. to arrange thatthe liquid can be applied in a uniform manner and to a predetermined amount. Thus the concentration of solution and suspensions may be varied or the height of that part of the wick or rollers above the bath may be varied. A particular suitable wick device is the one described in U. 8. application No. 538,484 filed May 19, 1931. Less care need be exercised in regards to uniformity of application in applying the anti-static material herein described than other anti-static materials as the one here described has a slight wetting action of its own which permits of a certain amount of spread on the yarns after application.

It-is found" that the alkylolamine hydroiwcab boxylic acids, with or without lubricating materials, give an anti-static property toyarns, fabrics and films without rendering them tacky, do not give a harsh hand to fabrics, do not deteriorate on long standing to give of! colors or odors and do not give rise to diihculties in future processing such'as' dyeing, coating, etc. Examples of allwlolamine salts of hydroxy carboxylic acids are triethanolaminetartrate, triethanolamine citrate, triethanolamine lactate, the monoor di-ethanolamine tartrates, citrates and lactates, and dioxypropanolamine tartrates, citrates and lactates. 'Ihe tartrates, citrates and lactates of the substitutedalkylolamines may be trates citrates and lactates similar carboxylic acid radicals maybe used such as, for example, mesatartarie'sacchaflc and mucic acid and their isomers, gallic acid and salicylic ,acid.

To produce an anti-static material which allows for the readily conducting away of electric charges imposed by friction or other means, and which has no rusting or corrosive action on the-*- metalswith which it comes in contact, it is necessary to employa neutral electrolyte. The electrolyte therefore must be composed of an acid a" base of substantially equivalent strengths. Up n hydrolysis the acids and bases must besuch that neither leave the field of reaction as by precipitation, evaporation or reaction with adjacent material thus leaving an excess. of the other present. Nor should .the electrolyte be sensitive to HUIUI UHUU' light and heat of ordinary strength and duration. All these features necessary to a good anti-static OB'cliCil 00m material are found in the allwlolamine salt of "a hydroxy carboxylic acid. However the alkylolamine salts of other acids may be em loyed to form neutral salts which are applicab to yarn according to this invention. Examples of such other acids are tannic acid, .where a little stiffness or size is desired on the yarn, anisic acid,

benzoic acid, succinic acid, maleic acid and furethanolamine lactate. The wickis submerged in the solution such that at the rate of-speed at which the yam is spun-and the area of the wick in'contact with the yarn, it will apply to the yarn a coating of 2/2% based on the weight of the, yarn.

,What I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: f 1. Method of treating filaments, yarn, film, foil or textile fabric containing a derivative of cellulose comprising applying thereto an alkylolamine salt of a hydroxy carboxylic acid containing not more'than six carbon atoms.

2. Method of treating filaments, yarn, film, foil or textile fabric containing cellulose acetate comprising applying thereto an alkylolaminesalt of a hydroxy carboxylic acid containing not more than six carbon atoms.

foil or textile fabric containing an organic derivative of cellulose, comprising applying thereto an alkylolamine salt of a hydroxycarboxylic acid containing not more than six carbon atoms and a lubricant.

4. The method of treating filaments, yarns, films, foils or textile fabrics containing cellulose acetate, comprising applying thereto an alkyylolamine salt of a hydroxy carboxylic acid containing not more thansix carbon atoms, in a medium containing an alcoholic body.

5. The method of treating 'yarn, film or textile fabric containing an organic derivative of cellulose which comprises applying thereto a small amount of triethanolamine lactate. 6. Filaments, foil, film or textile amount of an alkylolamine salt of a hydroxy carboxylicacid containing not more than six carbonatoms.

7. Filaments, foil yam, film containing organic derivatives of cellulose coated with a small, amount of anallrylolamine saltoi' a hydroxy carboxylic acid. containing not more than six carbon atoms" and'a lubricant.

fabric containing cellulose acetate, coated with a small or .textile fabric 

